


Only Just

by Tara2977



Category: Original Work
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 08:05:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11710272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tara2977/pseuds/Tara2977
Summary: Kat gets something she's always wanted; a family.  But, can she handle the bad that comes with the good?She finds herself in a tumultuous sea of new relationships.  Two new brothers and a plethora of friends...and him.Her pride threatens to sink her at every wave.  But, is it only HER pride she has to worry about?Note: The rape referenced in the warnings happens near the end of the story and will have plenty of pre-reading warnings.Most of the characters are 16 ish at the the beginning of the story, but will age throughout.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to anyone who is taking the time to read this. This is the first story I've ever been motivated enough to put on paper so it would be greatly appreciated if you would comment with any feedback you have.  
> The story is told in first person, changing perspective every chapter or every couple of chapters. The name at the beginning of the chapter will tell you who's perspective we're currently in.  
> The first few chapters are relatively short, but they get longer as the story goes on.  
> Thanks again!

~Kat  
I peered in as I attempted to settle my stomach that had tied itself in knots. I could see him through the window. I could also see her. Damn. I knew about her but was very much hoping she wouldn't be here. They were collapsed lazily on the couch, light from the television distorting their features.  
My stomach remained stubbornly tangled as I felt my knuckles rap on the door. I pulled my hand away and awkwardly thrust it to my side. I suddenly didn't know what to do with myself, where to stand or what to look at. I turned on my heels and debated running down the steps and not looking back. I still had time. I had all but decided to leave when a mechanical click told me my plan had been thwarted. I heard a slow creak behind me as the man opened the door cautiously. Clearly he was not expecting a visitor.  
It felt like a lifetime but I eventually managed to will myself to turn around and look at the man at the door. At his jet black hair that - had it not been cropped so closely to his head - surely would have erupted into natural waves. At his cheek bones, set high and defined on his face. At his deep blue eyes that watched me expectedly.  
"Can I help you with something?" He was hesitant, perturbed by the strange female visitor at this hour.  
At the sound of his voice I was horrified to realize I had been staring. What an impression that was. I tried to answer him but quickly found my brain not cooperating. My entire vocubalry held hostage in a prison of nerves.  
"If you're looking for Carson or Max, they're not here right now." The door began to close.  
Suddenly afraid I had lost my opportunity I managed to stammer out one word.  
"No" I said meekly. I briefly wondered who Max and Carson were and why he would assume I was here to see them. Silently I scolded myself for getting distracted from the current situation.  
Surprised, he opened the door again and I forced myself to keep talking.  
"Actually...I uh…" I stuttered as I watched his wife move off the couch. "I'm here to see you. You're Arthur right?" I asked the question even though I knew the answer.  
"Yes I'm Arthur"  
"Everything okay over here?" I turned my gaze to the woman who now stood beside her husband. Apparently I had kept him at the door long enough to warrant an investigation.  
He nodded his head reassuringly and placed an arm around her back. I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't waited for her to be at work, or otherwise engaged in an activity outside the house. I didn't know how much she knew and I didn't want to be responsible for ruining a marriage.  
"Is it okay if we talk for a minute? Alone." I watched the fear flicker on her face before she expertly covered it behind a neutral mask. I could understand her fear. Wasn't this every wife's worst nightmare? To have a strange woman at your door asking to speak to your husband...Alone.  
"This is my wife. We have no secrets. Either we both hear what you have to say or neither of us do."  
I watched the mask peel away. Her fear obviously dispelled by his loyal words. What a great husband. But would he still say that if he knew what he was about to get into? I had my doubts, but maybe I was wrong. I continued anyway.  
I turned my attention to him as I spoke. My shoulders relaxed and my stomach returned to its intended position as I saw the expression change on his face. The shock was gone. He looked at me with familiarity. At my wavy, jet black hair, my high, defined cheek bones, and my deep blue eyes. Like looking in a mirror. He knew.  
"My name is Kat, and I'm your daughter."


	2. Chapter 2

~Kat  
I nervously looked at the clock on the wall - 9:45PM. It'd been 15 minutes since they excused themselves to speak privately. I sat on the couch that just moments ago captured the image of a happy couple, on a quiet Saturday night. I couldn't help picture myself as a stick in the spokes of their tandem bike, jarring them and throwing them off course.   
I waited for them to return. Urgent whispers drifting through the wall separating us. It took more effort than I was willing to admit to convince myself it's impolite to eavesdrop, but I managed to avoid straining to interpret the sounds. "What a saint I am" I thought sarcastically, annoyed at myself and my morals and desperately wanting to listen in.   
I was calm now. Or as calm as I could be considering I was sitting in what was technically a stranger's home. My fingers mindlessly pulled at the end of my hair, looking for something to do; anything to do.   
I had always thought myself to be a patient person. Although looking back I couldn't remember why. All the proof pointed in the other direction.   
With little else to do I couldn't keep my mind from replaying the recent events. It had gone well so far. At least from my point of view. I had trouble believing Arthur and Janice would describe the situation in such a way. Could I blame them? Finding out someone had tricked you into getting them pregnant in order to steal you away from your wife, would come as a shock to anyone.   
I knew very few details of how the situation…uh…came about. Only what she had written in her diary. How cheesy.   
Lucky for them she died before she could enact her plan. Is that rude? To think that it's lucky she died? I wasn't sure what to think. After all, she was my mother and I should be sad that she's dead, right? Indifference would be closer to the truth. I had been underwhelmed by the maternal confessions in the book. There was more in there about Arthur and when to reveal her ingenious plot than there was about anything else. A little about her getting sick and what her plan 'B' was. Evidently having Janice raise something of "hers" was not an option so that left me in the foster system. Thanks mom.   
It hadn't been that bad though. I knew a lot of kids in the foster system had it worse than I did. I was lucky and ended up at Rolling Hills school for girls. Basically like a regular school but with dorms you live in all year round. Minimal supervision, just teachers and advisors for each dorm. It was a pretty good system. It allowed them to help a large number of girls (and boys at the identical school on the other side of the yard) with a low number of staff. I was grateful to have been placed there.   
The package I had found in my room just a month ago had been a surprise though. A package wrapped in plain brown paper and twine to keep it in place. I remember images of explosions and sirens flashed through my mind as I picked up the package. I quickly dismissed the thoughts as a product of too many cop shows. I had unwrapped it carefully and peeled away the tape sealing it shut. A paper had fluttered to the ground as I lifted the flaps, distracting me from the contents inside. I picked up the paper and had been surprised to find a receipt for a postal service. It revealed this package had been on hold in some warehouse for nearly 16 years. It was the diary in the box. The last page addressed to me, having only an address, a name and a date.   
It was easy to find him with that information. I suppose I should be happy she gave me something, although I couldn't help feeling like she was still using me as a pawn. Giving me this information hoping I would find him. Using me as a wrench to throw in the machine that was their marriage.   
Clearly I had decided to find him anyway. Declaring my goal to shake the hand of my father and apologize for my mother's deception. After that I would go about my business and leave the man alone, fully expecting him to want nothing to do with me.   
I was jolted back to the present by the familiar sound of the front door. A young looking man bounded through it and slammed his keys on the small desk beside the door.   
I sat silently, unsure of what to do. Should I pretend I didn't notice him? Should I say hello? He had startled me with his sudden interruption, but I needed no reminder that I was the one out of place here.  
He noticed me almost immediately, eyeing me suspiciously before sauntering over. I didn't need an explanation as to who the man was. His sandy brown hair, the colour of Janice's, and eyes to match mine told me he was their son. My brother.  
It donned on me that this must be either Carson or Max, and I have yet to meet the other. No wonder Arthur asked if I was here to see them as the man in front of me was no more than a year or two older than I was. He must have assumed I was a friend of  
theirs. I suppose it had been more likely than the truth.  
"Hi" he started not waiting for a response. I rose from the couch to shake the hand he had extended in greeting.   
"I'm Carson. I'm the handsome one in this family" he was confident.  
I was surprised to find he did not shake my hand. Instead he turned it in his grip, holding it in the air. What was happening?  
"And who might this beautiful lady be?" He gently pulled my hand to the side as if to get a better look at me. I realized with embarrassment exactly what was happening. He was flirting with me. Obviously and blatantly coming on to me. What was I supposed to do now? I felt a little bad for him. As soon as he finds out…I stopped, reminding myself I was not a part of this family…if he finds out.  
I was glad to find I had been relieved of the social obligation to introduce myself as I heard someone speak behind me.  
"Carson!"


	3. Chapter 3

~Arthur  
I sat with my elbows on the table, head in my hands. My wife's hand placed securely and reassuringly on my shoulder. She was quiet, waiting for me to speak. I read the words again, hoping they might be different this time, that I may have misread them the first 9 times. Apparently my eyesight was better than I hoped it was.   
"I can't believe this" I finally spoke, thinking of the young girl sitting in the other room.The entire concept of what I thought my life looked like had been challenged, all by one girl knocking on my door.  
She had seemed familiar at first, like I had seen her before, but I couldn't place her. I thought maybe she was one of my son's friends from school. That would have been simpler. It didn't take me long to realize it was my reflection I saw looking back at me. Not the whole thing, just pieces of it, and pieces of her mother.   
Even if i hadn't figured it out, the diary made it pretty obvious. The few details it contained matched exactly with the events I remembered.   
Although my mind pulsed with questions I would never have the answer to, I was grateful the diary was relatively vague. No girl should ever have to read about her parents' sexcapades. There was already enough in there to scar the girl for life, the last thing she needed was more details.  
"I can't believe this." My wife jumped at my sudden movement as I stood up from my chair, repeating my last sentence.  
I hadn't thought about this woman in years. My last encounter with her had always been remembered as pleasant. A successful experiment my wife had cooked up; fun at the time but easy to move on from. I had thought her feelings to be the same. I still remembered the last time I saw her, closing the back door behind her without looking back.  
I chuckled angrily to myself. Of course she didn't look back, she never believed it was the last time. How many other things had I been wrong about?  
Movement had broken the dam holding back my words and they began flowing freely. No. To say they were flowing is too elegant, too clean. The words spewed from my mouth like vomit.  
"I can't handle this, this ridiculous situation. I can't believe that one person can fuck up someone's life so royally. How can one person throw my life into an entire fucking uproar."  
Janice's eyes darted to the living room door. She was silently telling me to keep it down. I continued talking without pausing, realizing I had been dangerously close to making this a public conversation. I quieted and her eyes were back on me, approvingly.  
"That fucking woman. How dare she. We invited her into our home, into our lives, into our fucking bed and she has the Goddamned audacity….no wonder she insisted on bringing her own condoms." I paused for a moment. The immediate need to not die forcing my body to take a breath. I guess I had forgotten about breathing.  
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this information? How am I supposed to be a father to her? I've only known her for half a fucking hour. Am I supposed to go in there with open arms and ask to be a part of her life, for her to call me Dad, to pretend like that's completely normal?"   
"Yes," I stopped to look at her, confusion shaping my face as she spoke.  
"That's exactly what you do. And frankly I'm surprised at you Arthur. You've never been one to turn your back on your family, you've proven that with our boys. Sure, this may not be conventional, but she is family, whether you like it or not."  
I sighed as I realized what had happened.  
"No, Janice." Her mouth opened, no doubt in my mind she had every intention of tearing me a new one. I ignored her and continued.  
"You misunderstand." She closed her mouth, waiting to hear my defense.  
"I'm not unhappy that she exists. I'm angry that I didn't KNOW she existed." I watched as her face changed. She had a look in her eye I couldn't quite identify, although if I had to guess I would say it was pride. She was obviously happy her idea of family values still lined up with mine and had been proud of my acceptance.  
"I am angry that I have only known my daughter for half an hour. I am truly asking, how am I supposed to be a father to her? How can I ask her to allow a complete stranger into her life? I've always strived to be a great dad but how can I say that now? I've already missed so much. I wasn't there to see her off to her first day of school or to help her with her homework, and I'm sure she already knows how to ride a bike. I was supposed to be there for all of that. I'm supposed to be there for everything." I sat back down beside her, craving the comforting touch of the woman I love.  
"You didn't know."   
"Does that make it better? Does that erase 16 years of missed birthdays? 16 years worth of 'I love you's' and bedtime stories?" I questioned, my voice thick with guilt. Her mother might have thought of her as a tool to get what she wanted but my paternal instincts hit me hard. Harder than I ever thought possible as I realized I would gladly die to keep her safe, even having just met her.   
"She knows it's not your fault. She said so herself. I know it's a lot to put on a 16 year old. It's a lot to put on anyone but we'll fix it. We'll figure things out. She's your daughter." She placed her hand on mine.  
"Our daughter" I replied quietly. She looked at me knowingly. I didn't have to explain that this was my way of asking for her support. To be there for me while I struggled with the idea of missing so much in my daughter's life and to help me be there for Kat and our boys while we reshaped our little family. She squeezed my hand and she didn't need to speak for me to know we would handle this together.  
What a lucky man I was, to have a wife such as her.  
Janice stood suddenly, quickly closing the gap between her and the living room door. Was that the end of the conversation? Did we not have more to discuss?   
Then I heard it; my eldest son's voice clear as day. Shit. Apparently I had been too distracted to hear the front door. I moved quickly to follow Janice into the living room as I heard her speak.  
"Carson!"  
"Hey Mom. Dad" he added as I appeared behind my wife. I took in the scene, knowing my son well enough to know exactly what was happening here.   
"Carson what are you doing home? Why aren't you on your date?" I questioned him as he released the grip he had on his sister's hand. His face contorted in mock ignorance.   
"Date? I wasn't on a date. I was at the library."   
I rolled my eyes at my son's antics. Obviously his date hadn't gone well and he didn't want the girl in front of him to think he was unavailable, that would only make things more difficult for him.  
Janice moved around the couch to stand between Carson and the front door, forcing him to turn away from the girl as she spoke.  
"Honey, I think you should go upstairs".   
I was thankful my wife and I were, once again, on the same page. We would tell the boys, but not until we figured everything out.  
Kat's attention turned to me and she smiled a shy, awkward smile before looking back at the ground. She looked determined to hide it but I could tell she was hurt. Obviously at us having ushered her brother away from her like she was the plague. Nice one Arthur, your first action as her father and you made her feel like shit.   
"I'm sorry for all that. We haven't figured out how we're going to tell the boys yet." Her eyes flickered up to me and she smiled again with a nod, relief flooding her face.   
"It's been kind of an eventful night." I added, ignoring the quiet argument that had erupted between my wife and son, who was adamant he would remain downstairs.   
"Uh yeah. I should probably get going." I put my hand on her shoulder as she turned away from me.  
"Wait." I stood for a moment before speaking again. I was nervous and looked to my wife for comfort, only to find her staring daggers into our son. He was decidedly silent as he slinked up the stairs, knowing he had been mere moments away from incurring his mother's wrath.  
"Do you have someplace to stay?" I asked, my confidence growing as my wife turned her attention to us.  
"Yes, I'm staying at the motel by the highway"   
Janice gasped. That motel was constantly in the news for drug busts and prostitution. The criminals liked it because it was the only motel in the city that accepted cash and asked minimal questions. I suppose that's why Kat had picked it, being a 16 year old with no credit card, that's the only motel that would rent to her.  
"I don't think so" my wife spoke before I could, although I was quick to finish her thought.  
"There's a hotel just a few blocks from here, we'll put you up there for now." I walked towards the door.   
Kat turned and followed me awkwardly but did not argue.   
"And tomorrow," I continued "we'll call your case worker and find out what the steps are." I slung my coat over my shoulders and opened the front door, motioning for Kat to go first.  
"Steps?" She turned back to Janice questioningly.  
"Yes, dear. We have to go through the right channels to bring you home. We just found out our family is missing a piece and that just won't do."


	4. Chapter 4

~Arthur  
Carson sat silently on the edge of the couch; leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. Beside him, Max shook with laughter as he wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. Not quite the reaction I was expecting.  
"Whew, nice one dad. You nearly had me."   
He sighed as he leaned back on the couch. Clearly he was tickled by the hilarious joke I had apparently told.  
"I'm not kidding."  
Max leaned forward again, mirroring his brother for a moment. They looked so much alike. I found it funny that even though Carson was 2 years older, some people had trouble telling them apart. Both my boys had their mother's hair, a solid frame and were of similar height. The eyes always gave it away though. Carson had my eyes, and Max had Janice's. A chocolate brown that could stare right into your soul.  
Max derailed my train of thought as he brought his hand up to scratch the back of his head. Confusion the obvious motivator for his next sentence.  
"No," he said as if I had asked a question. He slowly stood up from the couch turning to face me as he did so.  
"You HAVE to be kidding because we DON'T have a sister and you DON'T have a daughter. I think we would have noticed." He appeared confident in his logic.   
"You do. And I do." This wasn't going as I had hoped. He was upset. Although if I thought about it, I shouldn't have expected anything less. Carson had always been the calm and collected brother, albeit a little goofy. Max let his emotions drive him in everything he did.  
"Was she that girl that was here?" Carson asked.   
I had almost forgotten he was in the room, he had been so quiet. I nodded.  
Max's attention turned to his brother as he spoke.   
"What girl?" He questioned.   
"There was a girl here a few weeks ago who…" he paused, his face going red. He stammered as I watched the exact moment he realized he had hit on his sister. "who I greeted in a totally platonic way that was absolutely not weird or awkward" he decided was a non creepy way to finish that sentence.   
He breathed a sigh of relief as Max spoke again, seemingly oblivious to the very convincing story Carson had told.  
"A few weeks ago? How long have you known about this?" He took a step towards me. He was angry now, not just upset. I turned and sat on the arm of the couch beside me. I answered the question without hesitation, trying to ease some of the tension in the room.  
"3 weeks. Her name is Kat and she's on her way here. Your mother went to pick her up."  
"౩ weeks? 3 weeks! And you didn't think to tell us about it? About her?" He was shouting now. Normally I wouldn't stand for that but under the circumstances, I gave him a little leeway.   
"I wanted to make sure everything was official before getting you guys involved."  
"To make sure what was official? That she was officially moving in?" He scoffed. I assumed he picked what he thought was the most ridiculous outcome of this whole thing. I remained silent.  
"Oh wow. Seriously? Taking in every Joe Blow and Jane Doe from the street now are we? How do you even know she's telling the truth, huh? What if she's lying just to get a free ride?"  
I raised my voice as I replied, annoyed at his tone.   
"For your information, I did a DNA test. Not that I needed one but they said it would expedite the process and it did." I stood up again, reminding my son that I am still in charge here and that we were having this conversation only because I allowed it. Carson remained silent and still, not wanting to get involved in the yelling match this was quickly turning into.  
Max scoffed again and thrust his tongue into his cheek, at a loss for words. He looked down at the floor and then back up to me. His next words were quiet, having successfully reined in his temper.  
"How old is she?"  
I knew where he was going with this. I didn't answer.  
"How old is she?" He repeated, his eyes piercing mine.  
"16" He looked shocked at learning his sister was the same age as him.  
"You should have told us."   
I relaxed a little, glad that Max was finally calming down.  
"I didn't know" I answered quietly  
"You didn't know?" His anger was back in a flash. No, this was more like rage. "Does it come as a shock to you that you ended up with a kid after you stuck your dick in some chick's vagina? Were you not expecting that as a possible outcome? Did you miss that day of sex ed? Obviously not since you preach safe sex to the two of us. So I guess you're just a fucking hypocrite who likes to go in raw."  
I could feel my anger swelling, but it wouldn't do either of us any good if I interrupted him.  
"You fucking animal. You perverted, selfish, fucking prick. I do have to say you put on a good show though. Quite the performance. Playing the part of a loving husband and fucking hoes on the side. Best of both worlds I guess. How could you do this to mom?" He spat his last words at me as he turned away and stormed up the stairs. "She deserves more than you."  
I watched him disappear behind a corner and listened for the slamming door before sinking down on the couch beside Carson. He didn't look up from the floor but was quick to follow his brother upstairs. I guess they were both angry.  
I sat for a few minutes in silence. Max's words had rattled me. Sure, we fought as father and son, but it had never been like that. He had never been outright disrespectful. Max was missing a lot of information but he didn't know that.   
I tried to regain my composure before Janice and Kat got back, but it was proving difficult. I knew that at this moment at least one of my sons hated me, and that was more painful than any physical wound. But, I was as angry as I was hurt.  
I was surprised when Parker came bolting through the door. He looked at me as though he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. I could tell just by looking at him that he knew. Maybe not everything, but enough. He only lived a couple blocks from here, and of course Max would have called him right away.   
Parker had frozen as soon as he noticed me on the couch, only steps from the stairs that would lead him to Max. He watched me, unsure if I would let him up, or kick him out. I wanted to kick him out just to spite Max for everything he had said to me, but alas, I am an adult, a father, and I knew that Parker being here was best for Max right now. Maybe Parker would be able to calm him down.   
"Go" I mumbled and waved my hand in the direction of the stairs. He didn't hesitate and moved quickly up the stairs, taking them 3 at a time.


	5. Chapter 5

~Max  
I knew he was watching me. I could feel his eyes burning holes in me as I walked away. My phone was already in my hand as I reached the landing and rounded the corner, grateful to be free of my father's stare.   
I could still see his face, contorting under the strain of self control. It was easy to see that he was angry, he had made no attempts to hide it. What I didn't know is why he hadn't said anything to me after I went off on him. At this moment I didn't care. I was angry. I hated him.   
Crossing the hallway into my room, I slammed the door behind me. That felt good.  
The phone rang once before I heard someone answer.  
"Hey, Max"  
"My dad cheated on my mom." I skipped the friendly greeting.  
"What?"   
"Come over?" I didn't want to be alone and going downstairs wasn't a very good option at the moment.  
"On my way"  
I ended the call and sat on my bed, unsure of what to do now. I had always respected my father. He had always been my role model. Until now.   
I hadn't had much time to think when I was interrupted by a faint knock on my door. My thoughts immediately went to my father. No, he was too angry to have been so gentle with any object.  
"Come on in Carson." I was happy to see my brother. He was the only other person to be in the exact same position I was. He walked in slowly, leaving the door open a crack behind him.   
"Trapped in the school with no pants or underwear? Or trapped in your underwear during sexy time?"  
I watched his mouth turn up in an evil smile.   
"Oh come on Carson, you make this too easy. Public nudity over lack of orgasm any day."  
He laughed and shrugged his shoulders, having obviously reached his goal of distracting me.  
"I see you're done with the yelling."  
"I have no reason to yell at you."   
"Oh, I don't know about that" I looked at him and waited. This oughta be good. "I did put gum in your armpit hair last year. Oh and last week I ate the last of your favorite cereal. I wasn't even hungry."  
I chuckled, appreciative of his efforts to settle my temper. Something he jokingly called 'soothing the beast'. Although it didn't happen very often, he hated it when Dad and I fought.   
"It took me 6 months to grow that armpit hair and I had to shave it off because of you."  
He moved to sit next to me on the bed. Putting his hand on my shoulder as if he were consoling me.  
"Oh don't worry, Max. I'm sure it'll grow back eventually. Just give it time." I shrugged off his hand and rolled my eyes, exaggerating my annoyance at his comment. It was better that than admit I didn't have a comeback.  
He laughed but was quick to change the subject.  
"So…Kat."  
I stood, suddenly feeling betrayed.  
"Real subtle Carson. Did dad send you up here to set me straight?"  
"No, I swear." He threw his hands up in defence. "I came up on my own. I wanted to make sure you were okay."  
"Well I'm not okay. We found out 5 minutes ago that our father is a lying sack of shit."  
I heard a voice from behind me  
"Those are some strong words."  
I turned around to greet the man who had just walked in, pulling him into a hug before pressing my lips against his. I noticed the heavy pounding in his chest. Did he run here?  
"Details please" he questioned, breaking our kiss.  
"Well, as I said my dad is a lying sack of shit who cheated on my mom with his side chick, got her pregnant and is now moving their 16 year old love child into our house."  
Parker looked at me blankly as he left my arms.  
"Right." He started cautiously "I think I'm gonna need more than that. Can I have the long version?"   
"Actually that is the long version." I settled myself comfortably on the floor, my head leaning back against the wall. Parker sat beside me, crossed his legs and turned to face me. "We just found out and didn't really get an explanation. That's all we know."  
Parker was silent, but I knew he was thinking about something. I could see it plainly on his face.   
"Actually, what we know is that dad has a 16 year old daughter who's on her way here. All the cheating, side chick, lying sack of shit stuff, Max made up."  
I leaned forward, my eyes on Carson. Was he really defending our father after what he did to mom?  
"I didn't make it up." I paused to pry the defensiveness out of my voice, I knew he responded better to logic. "She's 16. Mom and dad have been married for 20 years, therefore, he cheated. It takes a man AND a woman to make a baby, therefore, side chick. And we never knew anything about it, therefore, lying sack of shit." I leaned back against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest, confident that I had won that argument. Apparently Carson didn't think so.  
"Yeah, I know all that stuff, but forget about dad for a second. Think about Mom." Carson looked back and forth between Parker and I.   
"I AM thinking about Mom."  
"No, I mean, think about her thoughts on this. Dad said she was going to pick up Kat. That means she knows about the whole thing and has chosen to be a part of it. If he cheated, do you really think mom would do that?"  
"Why are you defending him?" I decided to voice my question this time  
Carson rolled his eyes. I had seen that look many times before. He was annoyed that I hadn't seen the situation the same way as him. I waited for his eyes to return to front and centre, knowing he would continue his explanation.  
"I'm not defending him. You're right, it doesn't look good for him and if he really did that to mom then I'm pissed too. All I'm saying is that there might be more to the story."  
Before I could respond to him we heard the door open downstairs, feminine voices drifting upstairs.  
"Ugh, they're here." I was dreading going downstairs.  
Parker leaned in a little closer stealing a kiss before speaking.  
"I know you're mad at your dad but from what little information you two have provided me, I think Kat's gonna be around for a while. Maybe it's best to go downstairs and try to get along with her. It's not her fault, she had no control in this either."  
I relaxed a little knowing I had Parker's support in this.   
"Will you stay?" His face was still so close to mine, I couldn't miss an opportunity like that. I pulled his lips to mine before he could answer. He broke the kiss just long enough to reply then immediately demanded access to my tongue.  
"Of course"  
"And that's my cue to leave"  
Shit, I had forgotten Carson was here. I could get lost in Parker's presence, blocking out my surroundings. I didn't do it on purpose, it just sort of happened when I felt his skin, his lips on mine.   
"Why don't you two stay here for a minute and…uh…cool down." I hadn't noticed the pressure in my pants until Carson pointed it out. I pulled my legs up to my chest, my cheeks immediately flushed. Sure, we talked about sex all the time but I had no intention of giving him a front row seat to the show. I was glad I wasn't alone in this situation as I looked over to see Parker sporting a tent as well.  
"Come downstairs when you get those things under control. I'm going down now. I guess I have a sister to officially meet."   
I watched Carson stand up and make his way through my bedroom door. One of his favorite pass times was embarrassing me, and I revelled in it whenever I got the chance to give him a taste of his own medicine. I had ignored him downstairs but that didn't mean I didn't hear him.   
"And I'm sure it will be totally platonic and absolutely not weird or awkward." Smiling, I twisted myself so I could see into the hallway just in time to see his cheeks, as rosy as mine, disappear down the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

~Carson  
Damn. I thought I was safe. I thought he hadn't heard me. I moved swiftly down the stairs, hoping to avoid my brother's shit eating grin that I knew would accompany that comment.  
My embarrassment quickly fled as I looked around the room for the least familiar face. I was surprised to find only my mother and father in the living room, speaking in hushed voices. I can only assume they were talking about Max and me. Mom undoubtedly wanting details on the 'big reveal'.   
They must have been on high alert as they noticed me almost right away. They both looked at me as I walked by, neither of them saying a word. I paused mid-stride. I couldn't help but feel like I was on display.   
"Umm…can I help you?" I questioned, not knowing how else to break the tension.  
They both shook their heads as if my words had snapped them out of a trance.  
"No. Well…uh…actually, yes." I waited as my father stammered out his sentence. "We were just wondering how you're doing."  
His hands were shoved awkwardly in his pockets as he waited patiently for my response.  
I looked back and forth between my parents.  
I hadn't noticed it when her back was to me, but now I could really see her. My mother had her arms crossed over her chest, her hand fidgeting with the sleeve of her blouse. Her right leg-the one closest to my father-was bent. Most of her weight was on her left leg, forcing her to lean away from him. And she was ever so slightly angled outwards, not quite facing him directly.   
"How I'm doing?" I questioned, buying myself a few extra seconds to think of a response.  
I had been a little annoyed that they didn't tell us sooner, leaving us with only minutes to come to terms with everything. But the idea of having a sister was interesting. I wondered what she would be like and if we would get along as well as Max and I did.   
Although I could see why Max would think so, I never believed Dad would have cheated on Mom. I thought for sure there was something more going on. But after seeing her like that, I wasn't so sure.  
I knew the signs. I had spent my entire teenage life training myself to look for them. To know when to avoid asking for anything and when to leave the room or risk being in the line of fire.  
She was angry.  
Maybe Max was right. Maybe Dad was a lying sack of shit.   
"Could we talk about it later?" I asked, trying to avoid the question. I didn't really know what to say. I could feel my temper rising and I didn't want to star in a repeat performance of 'Raging Max'.   
"Oh, yeah…sure. Of course." his voice dripped with disappointment.   
"Where is she?" I questioned. Maybe if I talked to her soon enough, I could explain the whole…misunderstanding…between us.  
"Downstairs. She's just bringing her bag down to her room."  
Ah, the basement. Of course. We had two spare rooms but the one in the basement was a little bigger. It also had the added bonus of not being surrounded by virtual strangers. Something I'm sure she would appreciate when things got a little overwhelming. Afterall, we're gaining a sister but she's adding an entire family to her life.  
I moved towards the basement door, swinging it open with deliberate reluctance so as not to startle anyone who might be on the other side. I found nothing but a descending staircase.   
"Carson," I stopped upon hearing my dad's voice, but did not turn around.   
"Just, uh, be nice. Okay?"   
I ignored him as I took the first step into the basement, closing the door behind me. Of course I was going to be nice. Did he really expect anything else from me?   
I quickly reached the last step and made my way down the short hallway to what was now Kat's room. I paused for a moment to take a deep breath and knocked on the partly opened door. The force caused it to open more, increasing my view of the room.   
She was sitting on the bed, hands tucked under her legs as they hung off the edge, just barely reaching the floor. She looked at me and gave an uneasy smile. It occurred to me in that moment that I hadn't thought of anything to say. Damn it, the whole point of coming to find her was to make a second, first impression; one that wasn't so incest-y. So far I didn't think that staring at her while she sat on her bed qualified.  
"Hi, I'm Carson." Hopefully she didn't remember me.  
"The handsome one in the family." She finished with a smile.  
Damn.   
"Uh, yeah. I was kinda hoping we could pretend that never happened." I chuckled awkwardly and stepped inside the door. "Obviously I didn't know, umm, who you were when I said that or I wouldn't have, uh…"  
"Hit on me?" She finished again.  
"Yes. That."   
"Well, Carson, I'm not really sure I know what you mean. As I recall, you came inside and went straight upstairs, not noticing me at all. In fact, I believe this would be our first interaction." She turned, swinging her legs over the corner of the mattress to dangle them off the end of the bed, instead of the side. Facing me, she held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Kat. Your sister. Apparently."  
I looked at her and laughed, knowing exactly what she was doing. I reached out to take the hand she offered, this time shaking it in an exaggerated manner and quickly releasing my grip.   
"Very nice to meet you Kat. Welcome to the family."  
She laughed with me this time.   
We both went quiet as an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. I watched as she shoved her hands back under her legs, as if that were the only way to stop them from fidgeting. Looking down at her feet, as she was doing, I saw she was tapping her toes on the carpeted floor.   
"Nervous?" She looked up at me as I spoke.  
"Wouldn't you be?"  
She had a point. It was kind of a dumb question. Of course she was nervous.  
I moved to sit beside her on the bed. She scooched over although I wasn't sure if she was trying to make room or if she was trying to get away from me. I sat down anyway.  
"Okay. Puppies or kittens?"  
"What?"she looked at me with confusion  
"It's something Max and I do all the time. It helps you think about something other than whatever it is you're stressing about. C'mon, puppies or kittens?"  
"Umm, well I guess that would depend on the rest of the question. If the question is 'which would I rather cuddle?' then I choose puppies. But, if the question is 'what would I order at a Chinese restaurant?' then I would have to call you a racist and ask for a different question."  
"Oh, you bring the Chinese into this and I'm the racist? That hardly seems fair." I threw back at her, teasingly.   
It had only been a few minutes but I liked her already. She was quick to a punchline and easy to talk to. I knew Max would like her too if he could get over his anger before coming downstairs.   
"It's your game. Your question." She jokingly nudged me with her elbow, sending me toppling from the bed at the unexpected movement.  
I threw my hand out to try and catch myself but I missed the wall I had my sights on. I didn't have much time to grab at something else as my ass greeted the ground with a not-so-friendly thud.  
I heard her fight back a snort as she laughed at my obvious discomfort.   
"Hey! You're lucky I wasn't expecting that, otherwise it would be you on the ground instead of me."   
I gave her a sarcastic eye roll as I waited for her howling to stop.  
She regained control of her breathing and stood from the bed, extending her hand to help me stand.  
I slapped it away in mock offense, proclaiming I could help myself.  
"Suit yourself, oh handsome one," I rolled my eyes at her yet again. "But hurry it up. We picked up pizza on the way here and it's probably already cold." She took off up the stairs without so much as a glance behind her.  
"Well if it's already cold then I don't have to rush!" I called after her, finding myself upright once again. "And I thought we weren't gonna talk about that!"


	7. Chapter 7

~Carson  
Kat had gone to bed. I didn't blame her, Max had been giving her dirty looks all night. Mom had shot them all back at him but he didn't seem to notice.  
I was grateful Parker had taken Max onto the porch. He had been acting like an asshole and I had every intention of calling him on it. But it was probably best not to start an argument about that while our parents were in the kitchen. If we did my father would try to get involved and that would only set Max off again.  
Dinner had been awkward but I had pretty much expected that. It was the first night, things would get better. I had tried to be civil with my father. But I found it easier to just avoid talking to him.   
I reached for the nearby picture frame from my place on the couch, a bitter laugh escaping me as I looked at the happy picture of my smiling parents. An image of my mother flashed in my head, reminding me of the scene I had walked into earlier. This picture was a joke. My mother wasn't happy, she was angry. Angry that the man she loved had betrayed her in such a way.   
I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of breaking glass. I looked down and was surprised to find a fresh crack scarring my mother's face. She didn't look happy now. I hadn't even realized my grip tightening on the fragile frame.  
I quickly tucked the frame under the couch, hoping that if it was ever found I would be able to blame the wind from an opening door.   
I heard my father laugh from the kitchen. Why was he so happy? Did he even deserve to be? All the evidence seemed to support Max's theory. But if dad really did that, then why would mom stay? Was it for us? I had to know.  
My feet carried me quickly to the kitchen door. I didn't slow down as I reached it, throwing out my hand to force it open. My parents jumped at the sudden noise.  
"Mom, I need to talk to Dad for a minute."   
She looked cautiously back to my father, sharing a supportive smile before slowly getting up from the table and leaving the room.  
This was a conversation I needed to have with my dad, man to man.  
I sat in the empty chair my mother had stood from, leaning my arms on the table. He was silent as I looked at him - waiting quietly as I tried to decide what to say.  
"Did you cheat on Mom?" I had thought about starting a little less direct, but decided against it. This was what I wanted to know. Why bother with niceties?  
"Carson," he started hesitantly "What happened between your mother and I…"  
I interrupted him, afraid he would refuse to answer the question.  
"Is between you and Mom, I know. But I gotta tell you that Max's theory is starting to look a lot like fact and I'm thinking that maybe he had the right idea when he flipped out on you. I'm asking you this because I respect you, but I'm not sure if you deserve it anymore. So please, will you answer me, because the longer I think about you hurting my mother, the more I want to punch you in your face."  
I breathed heavily. I had not intended to release my inner Max. But there he was, fuming in anger for all to see.  
He stared at me impatiently, with a look that asked 'are you done yet?' He raised his eyebrows, silently bringing the question to life. He took my silence as a yes.  
"Carson," he began again "what happened between your mother and I was…a joint…endeavor."  
It took me longer than it probably should have to figure out what the hell he meant by that. I blame a severe aversion to thinking of my parents as any kind of sexual beings.  
"Are you telling me that you and Mom had a threesome?"   
"Yes." He replied awkwardly.   
"Why?" My eyes widened in horror as I realized what had come out of my mouth. I hadn't meant to ask that, but sometimes my quest for answers had more control than I did.  
"I guess for the same reason anyone does anything. Because we wanted to and it was fun." He gave a small smile, attempting to hide how uncomfortable this conversation was for him. He had never had a problem talking to us about sex in the past but we had always talked about our sex lives, not his. Not to mention we had always talked about it in a general sense, never in detail.  
I gave a small sigh of relief at his relatively vague response.  
"But I still don't understand how she could have wound up pregnant."   
"We've had 'the talk' Carson. You know where babies come from."  
"No, yeah, I mean I know HOW it happened, but that's kind of my point. You made sure we were educated about STIs, pregnancy, consent, masturbation, orientation, pretty much anything about sex. You even put condoms in every bathroom in the house to make sure we had the means to be safe, but then you have unsafe sex and get someone other than Mom pregnant? It just doesn't make sense."  
He was quiet for a moment, his internal struggle forming lines on his face as he scrunched his eyebrows. He looked as though he were trying to make an important decision.  
He leaned forward in his chair, finally deciding what to say.  
"Okay, here's everything I know, let this be a lesson for you. We didn't have unsafe sex. Well, at least we didn't know that we were being unsafe. Kat's mother took advantage of the vulnerable nature of our relationship. Her goal was to get pregnant. It was her goal the entire time and we had no idea."  
He sat back in his chair, a look of relief on his face as he waited for me to respond.  
What was I supposed to say to that?   
"So the lesson is…bring your own condoms?" I questioned.   
"Bring your own condoms." He repeated, confirming my guess on the method of sabotage.  
"How do I know any of this is true, and not just some story you concocted?"  
He sighed and reached for a book on the table that I hadn't realized was there. He opened it as the spine groaned in protest, thumbing through the pages until he finally stopped on one, turning it to me.  
I looked up at him before my eyes fell to the hand written words before me. I heard my father speak as I read.  
"Kat brought it with her. It's her mother's diary. Feel free to confirm with her."  
I ignored him, concentrating on each sentence that supported his story.  
I relaxed a little, feeling a bit better about the situation. I guess Max was wrong after all. Point to Carson.   
The earlier image flashed in my mind again, and I noticed that although the book mentioned the pregnancy and my mother, it did not mention a threesome. It could have just as easily been referring to an affair.  
"If Mom knew about this whole thing, then why is she so mad at you?"  
"What makes you think she's mad at ME?"  
I shot him an accusing look.  
"Come on Dad, I saw the two of you in the living room earlier. I know what she looks like when she's angry and considering the situation who else would she be mad at?"  
"Max." He stated, pausing for a moment before continuing. "And she might be a little annoyed at me."  
My accusing look transformed into one of confusion. I knew Max had gone a little overboard, but that was only because he was trying to defend our mother.   
"She's mad at Max?"   
"Sort of. She thinks it sweet that he would come to her defense, she's mad at the tone he used with me, she's upset that we're not talking right now and she's annoyed with me because I decided not to tell him the whole story."  
"You told me. Why not tell him too? It would put an end to his rampage pretty quickly."  
Everything seemed to make sense now. Everything except why Max can't know the whole story. Isn't that the most obvious solution?  
"He doesn't deserve it." My father shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, pushing his chair away from the table as he walked the empty mug he was holding to the sink.  
I twisted in my chair to continue looking at him, slightly offended by his comment.  
"Doesn't deserve it? Why? Because he called you out when he thought you were being a cheating prick?"  
"No." He said abruptly, planting both hands on the counter while meeting my gaze. "The fact that he would come to the aid of not just a woman, but anyone who he perceived as being 'wronged' and that he would feel so strongly against someone breaking the loyalty and honesty in a relationship, I couldn't be more proud of that. But I don't owe him any explanations."  
I moved off the chair to stand opposite my father, only the island countertop between us.  
"You didn't owe me an explanation either. But I still got one." I pointed out, still not quite understanding.  
"You were respectful. You had a problem and you were angry but you came to talk to me like a man. I'm not saying that Max doesn't have the right to be mad, that you both did, considering the information that was dropped on you last minute, but Max needs to learn that he can't lash out like that. Anger does not equal disrespect. So he can stew. He can stay angry and brooding while we all get to be happy and enjoy the wonderful company Kat provides."  
So he was trying to teach Max a lesson. Of course. Ever the lecturer. He must think the lesson was pretty important if he was willing to let Max stay mad at him for it. I didn't necessarily agree with his methods, but that's probably because I was sure I would be the one keeping Max's temper in check. Oh well. Dad had said he wasn't gonna tell him, but he never told me not to.  
"And Carson, I'm sure I don't have to ask but I'm going to anyway, this conversations stays between us."  
Damn. I spoke too soon. I looked at my father, briefly wondering if he could read my mind.   
"Yeah, yeah I know." I rolled my eyes and waved away his comments before pushing my way back through to the living room just as the front door was opening.   
A quick glance revealing my brother closing the door behind him told me Parker had gone home. Another head swivel also told me that my mother was most likely upstairs.  
"You," I waited for Max to look at me.  
"Me?"  
"Upstairs. Now." I attempted a tone of dominance, not wanting to explain myself in the middle of the living room, lest my father discover my intentions.  
"I don't think so. I don't take orders from you." Max crossed his arms stubbornly.  
I rolled my eyes. He stood awkwardly at the door which told me he had no reason for being downstairs, but refused to go upstairs out of spite.   
Quickly but quietly I crossed the floor to close the distance between us.  
"Listen. The code has been broken. I have the information. We need to get somewhere secure."  
"What?" He started at me blankly.  
My annoyance was evident in the audible sound from my throat.  
"Come on, Max! It's obvious I have something to tell you that I don't want to say in the range of parental ears. Let's go." I didn't wait for a response before turning around and heading up the stairs.  
I heard Max speak from behind me and I could tell he was following my lead.  
"What part of that was obvious exactly?"


End file.
